Current Affairs This Week (08-05-2016)

Three Earth-like planets discovered orbiting dwarf star
For the first time, researchers have discovered three potentially habitable, Earth-like worlds orbiting an ultracool dwarf star 40 light-years away in another star system.

3 Indian Scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society
The Physicist Sriram Ramaswamy, biochemist Ramanujan Hegde, applied mathematician Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan, are on the list of fifty scientists elected as Fellows of The Royal Society.

Indian American woman elected to key Republican Position
An Indian based American Sikh woman Harmeet Kaur Dhillon from California has been selected to a major position in the Republican Party at the National Level.

India’s Kalvari stealth submarine starts sea trials
‘Kalvari’ (Tiger Shark), the first of the six French Scorpene class submarines being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd for the Indian navy, went to sea for the first time.

Neela Banerjee conferred with Edgar A Poe award
Neela Banerjee Indian-American journalist and three of her colleagues from Inside Climate News were presented with the prestigious Edgar A Poe award. The annual award by the White House Correspondents Association honours journalistic work.

Surender appointed as DG of Railways Protection Force
Senior IPS officer Surender Kumar Bhagat has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of Railways Protection Force (RPF). He is entrusted with responsibility of protecting railway property and passengers.

Nico Rosberg won 2016 Russian Grand Prix award
Nico Rosberg won 2016 Russian Grand Prix. It is his fourth win in a row this season.Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of UK stood second and Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland secured 3rd place in the tournament.

Andra Pradesh CM launched Chandrayana Bhima Yojana
Under the scheme any insured worker who meets an accidental death and permanent disability will be paid 5 lakh rupees. That worker who suffers partial disability will be paid a sum of 3 lakh rupees.

1 May : International Labour Day
The theme of International Labour Day 2016 is Celebrating the international labour movement. The theme assumes further significance with economic relationships undergoing rapid change in the emerging global economic order.

Dr. Radha Binod Barman Nominated as Chairperson of the NSC
Dr. Radha Barman, an eminent statistician, has taken over as the part-time Chairperson in the National Statistical Commission. The Commission is an advisory body on all statistical matters, set up to enhance public trust in statistics.

Gravitational wave scientists win Special Breakthrough Prize
The scientists and engineers of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, who detected gravitational waves and reported their discovery in February, have been awarded a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

IREDA may be converted into a Green Bank
State-run Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) might be converted into a Green Bank to enable it to access funding from overseas banks. A green bank provides low-cost financing support to clean and low-carbon projects.

India currently has 34 operational satellites
here are 34 operational Indian satellites at present, of which 13 are for communication, 12 for the purpose of earth observation and seven for navigation purpose, Rajya Sabha was informed.

Union Cabinet approved to adopt UNs fundamental Principles
The adoption will bring professional independence, importantly accountability and transparency in methods of collection, compilation and dissemination of official statistics, besides adopting international standards.

US Navy tested World’s largest unmanned surface vessel
It is a self-driving 132-foot ship able to travel up to 10000 nautical miles on its own to hunt for stealthy submarines and underwater mines.

ICICI Bank signs MoU with BRICS Development Bank
ICICI is the first financial institution in the country to tie up with the BRICS Grouping. Purpose: To support building of 2,370 mw of power capacity within the member ­countries.

2016 human rights award
Benin-born musician Angelique Kidjo has won a major human rights award, along with three African youth activist movements, for Standing up to injustice by Amnesty International and Shown the exceptional courage.

Gangavati to get Asia’s first Rice Technology Park
Asia’s first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district and a Maize Technology Park at Ranebennur in Haveri district on the public-private participation model as a one-stop solution to all problems of rice and maize growers.

India – 9th position in the 2016 FDI Confidence Index
India jumped two places to rank number 9 in this year’s AT Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index.The US and China hold top two positions for fourth straight year.

Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill with amendments
The Lok Sabha approved the Finance Bill 2016.
FY17 Budget proposals, including a monetary policy committee to set interest rates in tune with an inflation-targeting approach acquired by the Reserve Bank of India.

Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards
The Awards were presented to companies from various sectors of exports besides service providers, banks, various facilitating agencies promoting exports during the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Federation of Indian Export Organisations.

Swiss government honours Yash Chopra with special statue
A statue of a renowned Indian filmmaker, the late Yash Chopra, was unveiled in Interlaken, Switzerland. The 350 kg statue, which now stands in Kurssaal Garden in the central Swiss town of Interlaken.

Offshore patrol vessel ICGS Shaurya launched
Goa Shipyard Limited launched Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya‘ at Vasco, the fifth of a series of six off-shore patrol vessels that the Coast Guard had tasked the Vasco defence public sector undertaking to build.

BHEL commissions 600 MW thermal power plant in MP
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has successfully commissioned a 600 MW coal-based thermal power plant in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The unit has been commissioned at the 1 x 600 MW Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP).

SC appointed RM Lodha-panel to reform Medical Council
The Supreme court appointed a three-member panel headed by Lodha to oversee how the regulator of medical profession and education in India functions. Besides Lodha, the panel has former CAG Vinod Rai and Dr SK Sareen.

Nihal Bitla: India progeria campaigner dies aged 15
Nihal Bitla (15), a Mumbai teenager who had been suffering from a rare genetic disease that causes the body to age Nihal Bitlaeight times faster than normal has died. He was the face of India’s awareness campaign against progeria.

Scientists developed World’s Smallest Engine
The world’s smallest engine has been created in a lab at Cambridge University. It is fuelled by lasers and gold and is so tiny it could power the nanobots scientists hope to inject into our bodies in future to keep us healthy.

India and Japan to sign MOU for Cooperation in Sports
Both sides agreed for exchange of sportspersons, coaches, sports experts, sports administrators etc., and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the field of sports.

Mr. Sunil Lanba appointed as Chief of the Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of Western Naval Command, has been Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba appointed as the new Chief of Naval Staff. He will have the full three-year tenure as the Navy Chief.